The Beatles- When I’m Sixty-Four

Over the course of their musical career, The Beatles have embraced a vast variety of sounds, created many musical projects, and have evolved tremendously. Perhaps one of their most noted albums Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club, is also one which embodies their signature sound. The track When I’m Sixty-Four is featured on this album, and although it sounds very much like something that would be produced by The Beatles, it is very unusual in the world of popular music. Instead of calling upon the instrumentation of your typical pop or rock band—guitars, drums, keyboards, etc.—this song is composed for clarinet trio. It was also included in Yellow Submarine, an animated film starring The Beatles. Below you will find a video segment from the movie highlighting this track.



Sources:

Beatles, The (n.d.). Discogs. Retrieved from http://www.discogs.com/artist/Beatles%2C+The.

P:ano- Foot Hills

Foot Hills by P:ano is another example of bass clarinet in popular music, although it is used much differently that in the previous post. Whereas before, the clarinet sound was smooth and ghastly, here it is very upbeat and bouncy. In this track, the clarinet is the only source of bass, so it is integral to the instrumentation, and offers the tune a very distinct quality. P:ano, a Canadian based pop band, uses both clarinet and bass clarinet in many of their tracks, and it is this diverse use of instruments that gives them their edge.

Follow this link to online streaming audio of Foot Hills by P:ano: http://radio3.cbc.ca/play/band/PAno/Foothills. You will be redirected to CBC Radio.


Sources:

P:ano. (n.d.). Discogs. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/P%3Aano.

Gorillaz- Intro

The Gorillaz used this electronic and bass clarinet infused track as the introduction to their second album Demon Days. The track is very short, and portrays a very eerie quality that sets the listener up for an album full of subdued, dreary, hip hop and electronic beats. There are no other notable uses of clarinet throughout the album, but the ominous loop included in this first track greatly adds to it’s ghastly quality. It gives the song a since of waiting or suspension through frequent repetitions, and a clock-like, ticking quality.



Sources:

Gorillaz, The. (n.d.). Discogs. Retrieved from http://www.discogs.com/artist/Gorillaz?anv=Gorillaz%2C+The.